Google To Unveil Android-Based “Androidbook” Notebook in Q3?

In some ways, the PC market is a lot like a chess battle, only with more players involved. You have to know when to strike your opponent, where to hit them, and what pieces to use when making your move. There's a ton of strategy involved, and things don't always work out as planned. For Google, the time might be ripe to make a strategic move on what's traditionally been Microsoft's territory, but with what piece(s)? Perhaps one that doesn't yet exist.

Word on the web is that Google is readying a line of Android-based notebooks. These "Androidbooks" could show up as early as June or July, setting the stage for an interesting summer. Up to this point, Microsoft's Windows 8 platform hasn't been the raging success Redmond envisioned, and time again we hear from market research firms how PC shipments have softened.

Maybe now is the time to forge ahead with a rumored Androidbook. It makes sense in a lot of ways, starting with the fact that the majority of mobile users -- and who doesn't own a mobile device these days? -- run Android, so there's familiarity there. And unlike Chromebooks, users wouldn't have to make the transition to living entirely in the cloud.

Let's also not forget that former Android head Andy Rubin recently stepped aside and handed the reins to Sundar Pichai, who previously served as senior vice president for Chrome and Apps. Was that move in preparation for a line of Androidbooks? We'll soon find out.